This Day In Mets Infamy With Rusty : The "Second Greatest Game Ever Played ?" Edition 10-14-10

Do you remember where you were on this date 24 years ago ? The date was October 14th 1986. Reagan was President, Genesis just topped the charts with the album " Invisible Touch" Metallica was regrouping after the tragic death of bassist Cliff Burton and the game that many people consider the second best NLCS game ever was played on the hallowed grass of Shea Stadium. That's right today marks the 24th anniversary of game five of the 1986 NLCS ! I remember being a 14 year old kid visiting my mother in Brooklyn for the weekend when the events of this game unfolded. You might remember that the original game 5 was postponed due to rain, so the pitchers duel between Dwight Gooden and ex-Met Nolan Ryan - a match up that many heralded as one of the most anticpated match-up of fireballers in quite some time.This was your classic pitchers duel. Gooden allowed only one run in ten innings of work while Ryan also allowed a single run in nine innings while striking out twelve !The Astros took a 1–0 lead in the fifth when catcher Alan Ashby scored on second baseman, Bill Doran's ground-out. But our Mets - a team that was known for their come from behind heroics came right back and tied it in the bottom half when Darryl Strawberry took Ryan deep for the Mets' first hit of the game and his second homer of the series.The game stayed tied until the twelfth when second baseman ( and future Mets manager?) Wally Backman reached on a infield single off reliever Charlie Kerfeld. Backman would advance to second on a errant throw took second on on a pick-off attempt, Houston manager Hal Lanier then intentionally walked Keith Hernandez to pitch to Gary Carter, who rifled a single to center-field, which gave the Mets the win and a one-game lead as the series shifted back to Houston. I remember hearing the crowd at Shea Stadium crown of 57,000 strong roar when Wally scored the winning run , and I though to myself " Hell - this is a team of destiny !!"Damn I wish it was '86 all over again." A picture is worth a thousand Words!"And with that said .... HERE COMES THE INFAMY !!!Celebrating Birthdays today are :One of the folk heroes of the '69 World Championship Mets , right-fielder,Art Shamsky is 69 (1941) .Spot starter/ middle reliever from the '72 team,Brent Strom is 62(1948) .Ryan Church, the man who will always be remembered for missing third base against the Los Angeles Dodgers in '09 is 32 (1978).Our set-up man ( until he had the yen for " Dominican food"), Duaner Sanchez is 31 (1979) .New York Mets purchased the contract of pitcher, Jack Hamilton from the Detroit Tigers on October 14, 1965.San Diego Padres drafted reliever, Dick Selma from the Mets on October 14, 1968.San Diego Padres drafted outfielder, Jerry Morales from the Mets on October 14, 1968. A past his prime Morales would end his career with the Mets in 1980.And Mo Vaughn has bought a desert island in the Caribbean. He intends on renaming it Movania !!!

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